Wire-stretcher.



No. 644,727. Patented Mar. 6, I900. J. N. ANDREW.

WIRE STBETOHER.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

19729101 l yw a y y rfohw 0%? d1 mnew Units rA'rEs ATENT Erica JOHN N. ANDREW, OF GRAND RIVER, IOWA.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,727, dated March e, 1906.

Application filed September 9, 1899. Serial No.729,981. (No model.)

To LLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. ANDREW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand River, in the county of Decaturand State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Wire- Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire-stretchers in general, and more particularly to that class whichincludes portable stretchers, the object of the invention being to provide a construction which will be simple and cheap in its structure and which may be employed both in the stretching of the wire and the making of splices.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the stretcherin the stretching of the wire, the stretcher being exaggerated. Fig. 2 is an end View showing the employment of the stretcher in the making of the splice. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the fulcrum-plate.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a lever having a cross-bar 6 at one end thereof and forming a handle to facilitate operation of the device. The opposite end of the lever is formed cylindrical, as shown at 7, and at its extremity is provided with clutch-teeth S. The cylindrical portion of the lever eX- tends for onlya short distance from the end, and fixed to the adjacent portion of the lever and lying upon the cylindrical portion is a a jaw 9, a second jaw 10 being fixed to the jaw 9 and being bent at its outer end to lie above the latter.

Rotatably mounted upon the toothed end of thelever 5, preferably through the medium of a lag-screw, and lying in a plane at rightangles thereto, is a fulcrum-plate 11, the ends of which are parallel and the sides of which are concaved and result in the formation of points or teeth 12 at the corners. Upon the face of the plate 11 and concentric with the pivot thereof is a clutch member 13, having clutch-teeth adapted for engagement with the teeth 8 to hold the plate against rotation with respect to the lever.

In the operation of the device as a wirestretcher in the stretching of the wires upon posts the device is disposed with one of its concave side edges in the direction of a post and with the corresponding corners against the post, these corners sinking into the post when the Wire is under tension and preventing displacement of the implement. An end of the wire to be stretched is then passed between the jaws 9 and 10, the lever 5 is rotated by means of the handle 6, and the wire is wound over the jaws until the desired tension of the wire is secured, it being understood that at this time the clutch-teeth are out of engagement. The operator then presses the lever to cause engagement of the clutchteeth, and further stretching of the wire may be secured by moving the lever in a rearward direction upon the teeth 12 as a fulcrum. The wire may then be stapled, after which the clutch-teeth are disengaged and the lever rotated in an opposite direction to release the Wll'O.

In order to adapt the implement for the splicing of wires, the plate 11 has a jaw 15 hingedly connected therewith, through the medium of an eye 16 at one end engaging a staple 17 in the plate, said jaw having an opening therein through which is passed a pin 18, bolted or otherwise secured to the plate 11. Upon this pin is rotatably mounted a block 19, having a cam-face resting upon the jaw and provided with an operating-handle 19, through the medium of which the cam maybe rotated to engage its face with the jaw and press the latter in the direction of the plate to clamp a wire against the plate.

.As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, where it is desired to splice the ends of a broken wire a short section of wire is attached to each of the ends to be spliced andin the rear of the extremities of the latter. The free end of one of these sections is then clamped'between the jaw 15 and the plate 11 and the free end of the other section is passed between the jaws 9 and 10. The lever 5 is then rotated to wind up the section of wire connected therewith, thus drawing the ends of the Wire to be connected together, when they may be twisted one about the other.

It will of course be understood that in practice the specific means for pivoting the jaw 15 to the plate 11 may be varied and that other parts of the structure may be altered in material and proportions Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. Awire-stretcher comprisinga plate having engaging teeth at its edges and having a clutch element upon one face, a lever rotatably mounted upon the plate and having a clutch element adapted to engage the firstnamed clutch element, said lever having a cylindrical portion, additional plates mounted upon the lever and having the end portions at one end separated and projecting over the cylindrical portion of the lever, means for rotating the lever, and a jaw mounted upon the plate, and means for moving the jaw against the plate to exert a gripping action.

2. A wirc-stretcher comprising a plate hav- JOHN N. ANDRIDV.

Witnesses:

S. H. COVINGTON, .T. W. ROBINSON. 

